Part 2, 1921] RUBIACEAE 151 



54. XEROCOCCUS Oerst. Vidensk. Medckl. 1852: 52. 



1852. 



Plants suffruticose, prostrate. Leaves opposite, membranaceous, petiolate. Flowers 

 very numerous, subcapitate upon a somewhat fleshy axillary peduncle, the bracts short; 

 hypanthium ovoid; calyx much longer than the hypanthium, 4-lobate, the lobes linear-elongate, 

 erect, recurved at the apex, ciliate, persistent; corolla short, tubular, pubescent outside, the 

 throat glabrous, the limb 4-lobate, the lobes short, erect, concave, valvate. Stamens 4, 

 inserted in the throat of the corolla; filaments very short; anthers minute, dorsifixed, ovate- 

 cordate, included. Disk annular. Ovary 2-celled; style filiform, the 2 branches obovate, 

 obtuse, papillose outside; ovules numerous, horizontal, the placentae adnate to the septum. 

 Fruit baccate, nearly dry, ovoid, 4-sulcate, 2-celled, separating into 2 cocci. Seeds numerous, 

 angulate, the testa reticulate. 



Type species, Xerococcus congestus Oerst. 



1. Xerococcus congestus Oerst. Vidensk. Meddel. 1852: 



52. 1852. 



Petioles 3.5-5 cm. long; leaf-blades broadly ovate, about 15 cm. long and 10-12.5 cm. 

 wide, narrowed at the base, short-acuminate at the apex, scaberulous above, ferrugino-villous 

 beneath when young, glabrate in age, the lateral veins divergent, parallel; flowers very nu- 

 merous, the glomerules 2.5 cm. broad; hypanthium about 2 mm. long, the calyx-lobes 8 mm. 

 long; corolla 8-10 mm. long, the lobes 2-3 mm. long; fruit 4 mm. long. 



Type locality: Turrialba, Costa Rica, at an altitude of 900 meters. 

 Distribution: Known only from the type locality. 



Description compiled. The proper position of the plant is doubtful; perhaps it is a species of 

 Sabicea. 



Doubtful species 

 Xerococcus Lindenii Kuntze, Rev. Gen. 2S5. 1891. Described from Mexico; the 

 description is too brief for identification. 



VII. GARDENIEAE. Shrubs or trees. Inflorescence terminal or ax- 

 illary, the flowers often large and showy, regular, perfect or unisexual ; corolla- 

 lobes contorted or imbricate. Stamens usually inserted in the throat of the 

 corolla, the anthers dorsifixed. Ovary usually 2-celled, sometimes 1- or 

 several-celled, the ovules few or numerous. Fruit indehiscent, baccate, 

 fleshy. Seeds large or small, compressed or obtusely angulate, the testa 

 membranaceous, coriaceous, or fibrous; endosperm corneous or fleshy. 



Corolla-lobes contorted. 



Seeds large, the testa smooth or fibrous. 

 Flowers perfect. 

 • Inflorescence terminal. 



Corolla somewhat irregular, curved in bud. 

 Corolla regular, not curved. 

 Ovary 1 -celled. 

 Ovary 2-celled. 



Flowers in cymes. 

 Flowers solitary or capitate. 

 Inflorescence axillary. 



Corolla-tube villous in both throat and base; stigma pointed; 



testa of the seeds fibrous. 

 Corolla-tube villous in throat or base but not in both; stigma 

 not pointed; testa of the seeds not fibrous. 

 Flowers dioecious. 



Stipules united into a conic cap, this deciduous by a circular slit; 

 flowers cymose, corymbose, or capitate. 

 Pistillate flowers capitate or cymose; plants sericeous. 

 Pistillate flowers usually solitary; plants hirsute. 

 Stipules free, or connate at the base. 

 Staminate flowers in long spikes. 

 Staminate flowers not spicate. 



Pistillate flowers several, capitate; plants glabrous. 

 Pistillate flowers solitary: plants usually pubescent. 

 Staminate flowers terminal; plants unarmed. 

 Staminate flowers lateral, on short spurlike branchlets; 

 plants usually armed with spines. 



